Cleaning device and image forming device for charging residuals of toner evenly

Abstract

A cleaning device for cleaning residual toner that, in an image forming device of an intermediate transfer type, remains on an outer circumferential surface of an intermediate transfer member after a transfer. The cleaning device includes: a charging brush operable to contact with and charge the residual toner; and a cleaner that is disposed downstream of the charging brush in a toner transport direction of the intermediate transfer member, and is operable to electrostatically adsorb the charged residual toner, wherein electrically conductive bristles have been planted randomly in the charging brush to be distributed evenly in density.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cleaning device for cleaning residual toner that, in an image forming device of an intermediate transfer type, remains on an outer circumferential surface of an intermediate transfer member after a transfer, the cleaning device comprising:
 a charging brush operable to contact with and charge the residual toner; and 
 a cleaner that is disposed downstream of the charging brush in a toner transport direction of the intermediate transfer member, and is operable to electrostatically adsorb the charged residual toner, wherein 
 electrically conductive bristles have been planted randomly in the charging brush to be distributed evenly in density. 
 
     
     
       2. The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the bristles have been planted in the charging brush by an electrostatic planting method. 
 
     
     
       3. The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the charging brush is either a roll brush or a bar brush. 
 
     
     
       4. A cleaning device for cleaning residual toner that, in an image forming device of an intermediate transfer type, remains on an outer circumferential surface of an intermediate transfer member after a transfer, the cleaning device comprising:
 a charging brush operable to contact with and charge the residual toner; and 
 a cleaner that is disposed downstream of the charging brush in a toner transport direction of the intermediate transfer member, and is operable to electrostatically adsorb the charged residual toner, wherein 
 279 or more electrically conductive bristles have been planted in any one square millimeter area in a bristle planting region of the charging brush. 
 
     
     
       5. The cleaning device of  claim 4 , wherein
 each of the electrically conductive bristles is 2 denier in thickness. 
 
     
     
       6. The cleaning device of  claim 4 , wherein
 the bristles of the charging brush are a combination of one or more types of bristles each of which is made of a material selected from the group consisting of an electrically conductive nylon-based resin, an electrically conductive ester-based resin, an electrically conductive rayon-based resin, an electrically conductive acrylic-based resin, and an electrically conductive polypropylene-based resin. 
 
     
     
       7. The cleaning device of  claim 4 , wherein the electrically conductive bristles extend along the charging brush from one axial end of the planted region to the other axial end of the planted region without uniform gaps or spacing between any two adjacent square millimeters of the conductive bristles. 
     
     
       8. An image forming device of an intermediate transfer type including a cleaning device for cleaning residual toner that remains on an outer circumferential surface of an intermediate transfer member after a transfer, the cleaning device comprising:
 a charging brush operable to contact with and charge the residual toner; and 
 a cleaner that is disposed downstream of the charging brush in a toner transport direction of the intermediate transfer member, and is operable to electrostatically adsorb the charged residual toner, wherein 
 electrically conductive bristles have been planted randomly in the charging brush to be distributed evenly in density. 
 
     
     
       9. An image forming device of an intermediate transfer type including a cleaning device for cleaning residual toner that remains on an outer circumferential surface of an intermediate transfer member after a transfer, the cleaning device comprising:
 a charging brush operable to contact with and charge the residual toner; and 
 a cleaner that is disposed downstream of the charging brush in a toner transport direction of the intermediate transfer member, and is operable to electrostatically adsorb the charged residual toner, wherein 
 279 or more electrically conductive bristles have been planted in any one square millimeter area in a bristle planting region of the charging brush. 
 
     
     
       10. The cleaning device of  claim 9 , wherein the electrically conductive bristles extend along the charging brush from one axial end of the planted bristles to the other axial end of the planted bristles without uniform gaps or spacing between any two adjacent square millimeters of the conductive bristles.